CHERRY RIDGE TOWNSHIP, PA — A pickup truck drove into the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Cherry Ridge Township on Wednesday evening, causing damage to the Honesdale Station and injuring a communications officer inside the building.
State police said the crash happened at about 6:53 p.m. at 14 Collan Park. The impact damaged the station entrance and communications room, and it also knocked out telephone service.
The injured employee suffered minor injuries, according to authorities. Police later identified the driver as 36-year-old Wade Louis Rickard of Honesdale.
Troopers say the truck hit the barracks entrance and communications room
According to Pennsylvania State Police, the pickup struck the barracks hard enough to affect both the front entrance and the room used for communications operations. That left the station dealing with property damage and a temporary interruption in phone service.
The crash raised immediate safety concerns because it happened at a law enforcement facility where dispatch and communication systems are central to daily operations. Police did not say how long the telephone outage lasted, but they confirmed the room was damaged in the collision.
The injured communications officer was treated as having minor injuries, and no more serious harm was reported at the scene. Troopers have not said whether anyone else was inside the building when the truck came through.
Driver allegedly fled on foot before officers found him nearby
Police said the driver left the area on foot after the crash. He was found a short time later along Ski Run Road, not far from the station, and taken into custody.
Rickard was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police with help from the Honesdale Borough Police Department. Authorities have not released details about what led to the crash or how the truck ended up at the barracks entrance.
His arrest came after officers located him near the scene, ending the search only minutes after the collision. The quick response from multiple agencies helped move the case from a roadside search to a formal custody situation.
Charges include aggravated assault and DUI-related allegations
Rickard faces several charges tied to the incident, including aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and simple assault.
Those charges reflect both the damage reported at the barracks and the injury to the employee inside. Police did not provide any additional information about possible impairment, and court records or arraignment details were not included in the initial update.
He was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital before being transported to Wayne County Prison for arraignment. That sequence suggests police wanted medical clearance before moving forward with the criminal process.
The crash left a state police station dealing with damage and lost phone service
The collision disrupted operations at the Honesdale Station because the telephone system was affected along with the building itself. For a state police barracks, even a short communication outage can complicate routine calls and emergency coordination.
Police said the entrance and communications room both took damage, but they did not give a dollar estimate for repairs. The station’s location at 14 Collan Park in Cherry Ridge Township places it in a rural part of Wayne County where emergency response depends heavily on reliable contact systems.
No broader threat to the public was described, but the incident turned a routine evening into a response involving injury, property damage and a search for the driver. Troopers have not said whether the station has fully resumed normal service.
What investigators have said so far about the Wayne County case
So far, Pennsylvania State Police have confirmed the time, place and basic sequence of the crash, along with the injuries and arrest. They have not said what caused the truck to strike the barracks or whether additional charges could follow.
The case now moves into the court process after Rickard’s hospital stop and transfer to county prison. For now, the key facts are the same: a pickup hit a police barracks, a worker was hurt, telephone service was interrupted and officers later took the driver into custody.
Investigators have not announced any further updates about repairs, the condition of the communications room or whether the station’s operations were fully restored after the collision.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
